Packing

I'm so tired! We have been packing and taking up loads to the house in Salt Lake all week and I'm sitting on the sofa waiting for Marty to come home from unpacking another load and I want to vent. So I'm doing it on my blog. Is that okay? I think so. It seems like a good place.

So I guess any moving tips, boxes, or muscles would be of great assistance. But mostly I just want someone to tell me it will be worth moving into a really old house away from my friends and family!

On the positive side, Graham is loving all the boxes! They are making great towers and forts to play with. I also think that falling asleep at night before your head hits the pillow is such a blessing. I've never been a great sleeper, but this week has been awesome!


Thanks for reading this, if your still reading this! You're a good friend!

Nighty, Night!

Twenty Six and Breathtaking

Happy Birthday to Jessica.

Six years ago on her birthday I mounted an all-out celebration. She was turning 20, we had just started dating, and all I knew at the time was how excited I was about her. She was smart, funny, and downright lovely. Her birthdays always remind me of the beginning of our relationship, and I’m more and more grateful every year that I still have her.

Now of course I know more about her, and I’m amazed I ended up with her. It’s hard to imagine all the qualities you’ll need from your wife when you’re young—when your wife is young :). You’re looking for maturity sure. And a spiritual foundation. And someone fun and adventurous. Someone you can talk to for hours on end and love that they’re still talking to you.

But it’s hard to imagine everything you’ll be going through togther. In the first four and a half years of marriage we’ve bought two homes, served in several church responsibilities, given birth to a darling son and raised him for two years, dealt with an enormous health issue, seen specialists and prayed and fasted, toured a country abroad for the more part of a month, watched two complete television movie series, traveled by car and plane here and there, talked and talked and talked, been sick, gone out to eat, counseled family, counseled each other, worried, wondered, worked through various decisions that only we could sort out, survived crazy work schedules, and slowly acted more and more like adults (we’re not completely adults yet).

I know now that the only way life works is if you have a woman wiser than you, more disciplined than you, more resilient than you, stronger than you, more unconditionally loving than you, more emotionally mature than you, funnier than you, more patient than you, more devoted than you, and far more perfect than you. I am amazed—and we’re just getting started—how little I knew about what capacity my companion would need to have in life. I am in awe of Jessica who has all that capacity and plenty to spare. I cherish her and am humbled she’s mine. I am so so fond of her.

Jessica, for the sixth time in our life together, I love love love you on your birthday.

Graham and Ava

A late night with the cousins! Around and around the yard they went!
Graham is such a gentleman, always driving the ladies around.
And Ava? Wild Woman! Watch out Meg!

Safety First!

What in the world! I know, I wondered the same thing!
She put her lips on a (cold) fire pit cover from the night before!

What a scary sight!
Halloween is coming!

Disneyland Marathon

Just a few days before my little sister Suzy was running the Disneyland Marathon my parents bought me a plane tickets to go spend the weekend with her and our other sister Meg. Let's just say we had fun!

Graham and I just waiting for Suzy while she picks up running packet at the Disneyland Hotel!

The meal the night before the race. We have not stopped talking about how good our food was. I ate like I was running 13 miles the next day! We had hummus appetizer, Parmesan cheese bread, pasta, and dessert! I love to eat!

Watching everyone come across the finish line in their Disney attire! It was really fun!

Here she comes! Only a little further...

Go Suz Go!

She did great!

Random Summer Fun!

I'm sitting on my bed while Graham is asleep and Marty is on some errands. Here I sit. Not wanting to face all the packing that must be done and not really knowing where to start today. Tomorrow is the Primary Program for our ward and I have been busy with those details this week. But without having to explain too much I want to post a few fun pictures from the summer as to not forget what a great summer it was!

This is a picture of Marty and the little fish that kept biting his nipple at Lake Powell! We had a wonderful trip to Lake Powell this year and to explain how relaxed I was... I only took this one picture! Thanks Patches for a great vacation! And thanks to Mom, Trina and Karen for watching Graham for a week! You are truly the best!





This is a photo of Graham on the front of our Bro-in-law's, Cody, new Fire Engine! Graham is all boy! Into everything trucks, trains and airplanes! His exponentially growing vocabulary centers around these very things! I know all the Thomas the Tank Engine songs, trains and dialogue by heart! So does Graham! It is amazing to see his little mind growing and learning everyday! Did I mention he also loves Barney, Elmo and Clifford? He likes his movies, just like his Dad!








Next, Jill and her kids spent August visiting Utah from Delaware! We loved seeing them, swimming with them and just plain being with them! Can't wait until Christmas! This is Anna, Graham, Mckay and Elle eating a little chips and salsa poolside!

This Old House will be our Old House on Monday!

As many of our friends and family already know we are moving to Salt Lake. It has been in the back of our minds for a long time now, but over the last year we realized that we are done with the commute, so started looking for a home. This home is only 7 minutes from Marty's work, which means he can come home on late nights instead of sleeping on the couch at work! We are so excited to be able to spend more time together. The last few weeks have been crazy at Cosmic Pictures and has even further confirmed our decision to move. It has been a hard decision to leave Provo, because let's face it... I love Provo! Both of our families live here and best friends around the corner. It makes me tear up just thinking about living in this old house in an unfamiliar area, but then I realize it is only 45 minutes away and that is nothing! I can jump in the car and come down anytime and people can come up and visit (oh please come visit!) I am going to miss Provo and our little condo. I love being so close to the canyon and using the trail throughout all the seasons. I love Mount Timanogous and will miss looking out my window and seeing it daily. It has been a wonderful place to live and Marty and I have so many good and growing memories living here!

The home we are buying is on Yale Avenue in Salt Lake. We are so excited about the area and living right across the street from a beautiful restored LDS Church building. It was built in 1913 and currently has 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. We are getting the home for a great price and are excited about all the remodeling plans. We plan to do some initial changes that are quite small before we move in (paint, carpet removal, remove those trees in the front), but then live in the home for 6 month to 1 year before starting the remodel. Anyone that wants to see the before feel free to stop by! It is something else inside! Sometimes I can't be we are actually buying it! Marty and I just look at each other and laugh and say, "What have we gotten ourselves into?!"

We will be moving probably mid-October!
I'm keeping track of all my Halloween boxes!
Can't let a move get in the way of decorating and celebrating my favorite holiday!

Happy packing days in process!